2025-08-03: Del Norte Coast Redwood National and State Park

Milestones

• 32nd time camped in 32 months (SHOW ON MAP)
• 22nd county camped in California (SEE THE 21st)
• 7th time camping in a National Park (SEE THE 6th)
• Part of my 4th Annual “Bike-A-Palooza” (SEE the Whole Trip)
• 3rd time camping near a filming location – The redwood forests were used in the Star Wars movie series. In this case, it was Episode VI – Return of the Jedi. (SHOW 2ND)

The Rivers

I was not that familiar with the California coastal areas from San Francisco to the Oregon border. This time I drove along highway 101 all the way from Petaluma to Crescent City. I crossed several of the major rivers that deliver water westward into the Pacific ocean: Eel, Smith, Klamath, and the Mad rivers. I also paralleled the Russian river for quite a while. The forest and the rivers were spectacular, but I enjoyed the Smith river the most.

In 1964, the Eel river flooded for 20 days around Christmas. This happened a few months before my family and I moved to the Presidio.  The Army Corp of Engineers were in clean-up mode when my Dad started flying out of at Crissy Field.  The Presidio was 6th Army Headquarters so he flew missions up and down the coast ferrying colonels and generals to inspections and ceremonies.  I think he delivered food and supplies to ranchers stranded due to the roads being wiped out.  Sheep and cattle were cut off as well; many died.  It was front page news in the SF Chronicle for months as work progressed.

The Views

On the drive up to my campground, I saw so much of the California coastline. I couldn’t stop and take a picture every mile (even though it deserved it), so I had to pick and choose the views that were exceptional… like this.

Officially, my campsite is part of the Redwood National and State Parks which span approximately 50 miles of the northern California coastline, extending from Crescent City near the Oregon border to the Redwood Creek watershed south of Orick.

The campground was tucked away in the forest, on a narrow road off highway 101.

The whole forest reminded me of the “Return of the Jedi” when they rode the speeders through the forest. In fact those scenes were filmed only 100 miles south of where I was camping.

My friend Mark asked me which “Hobbit hole” I chose to put my tent. Truly, it was a different world than I am used to seeing.

When I arrived at my campsite, I saw that there were steps up to the picnic table and camping area. That was an immediate bummer.

The mossy log in the following picture was actually the railing that surrounded my camping area.

So, I ended up setting my tent next to my car. Not glamorous. And, since the bathroom was nearby, everyone walked right by my car all night.

Side note: why do little girls (3-5 years-old) always seem to talk, sing and chatter everywhere they go? I observed this because they have to go to the bathroom a lot, and I unfortunately collected a lot of data. I suspect they aren’t serious about the bathroom stuff, it’s just something fun for them to do. I don’t get it.